Okay, so I’ve been on this huge kick lately trying to make healthy snacks. And my latest obsession? Dehydrated pineapple! It’s like, the perfect mix of sweet and chewy. But figuring out the timing? That was a whole adventure in itself. Let me tell you about it.
Getting Started
First, I grabbed a couple of ripe pineapples. You want them to be nice and golden, not too green, not too soft. I sliced off the tops and bottoms, then stood them up and carefully sliced off the outer skin, making sure to get rid of all those prickly “eyes.”
Then came the slicing. I wanted rings, because, well, they look pretty. So I sliced the pineapple into rounds, about 1/4 inch thick. I think some folk prefer thinner slices and it is also * could also cut them into chunks or spears, whatever you like, there’s no one stopping you !
The Dehydration Experiment
I have this handy-dandy dehydrator that I dusted off. I laid the pineapple slices on the trays, making sure they weren’t overlapping. Now, the big question: how long to dehydrate them?
- My dehydrator’s instructions said something vague like “6-12 hours,” which, let’s be honest, is a pretty wide range.
- I googled around, and saw everything from 4 hours to 18 hours! Talk about confusing.
So, I decided to just experiment. I set the dehydrator to 135°F (which seemed to be a common recommendation) and started checking on the pineapple after about 6 hours.
Checking and Waiting… and Checking Again
At 6 hours, the pineapple was still pretty moist. I flipped the slices over and let them go for another 2 hours.
At 8 hours, they were getting there, starting to feel leathery, but still a bit sticky in the center.
I kept checking every hour or so, flipping them occasionally. It really felt like a waiting game.
The Sweet Spot
Finally, after around 10 hours, I had success! The pineapple slices were leathery and pliable, but not sticky. They bent without breaking, and they had this amazing concentrated sweetness.
I turned off the dehydrator and let the pineapple cool completely on the trays. Then I transferred them to an airtight container. They’re so good, I have to hide them from myself, or I’ll eat the whole batch in one sitting!
So, my big takeaway? Dehydrating pineapple takes time and patience. But it’s totally worth it. For me, around 10 hours at 135°F was the magic number. But your mileage may vary, so keep an eye on your pineapple and adjust the time as needed. Just enjoy this delicious snack after all that work!
Post Comment